Who's in? Amelia Rayno fills in the blanks for the 68-team NCAA field
March 15, 2015 at 2:11PM
Amelia Rayno fills in the blanks for the 68-team field:
Automatics (32)
ConferenceSchool
Ivy LeagueHarvard
Ohio ValleyBelmont
Atlantic SunNorth Florida
Big SouthCoastal Carolina
Missouri ValleyNorthern Iowa
Colonial AthleticNortheastern
Metro Atlantic Ath.Manhattan
SouthernWofford
HorizonValparaiso
NortheastRobert Morris
SummitNorth Dakota State
West CoastGonzaga
PatriotLafayette
America EastAlbany
Atlantic CoastUNC/Notre Dame
Big EastVillanova/Xavier
Big SkyMontana/E. Washington
Big 12Iowa State
Big WestHawaii/UC Irvine
Conference USAUAB
Mid-AmericanBuffalo/CMU
Mid-Eastern AthleticHampton
Mountain WestWyoming
Pac-12Arizona/Oregon
SouthlandSam Houston/SF Austin
SWACTexas Southern
WACSeattle/New Mexico State
American AthleticSMU/UConn
Atlantic 10VCU/Dayton
Big TenWisconsin/MSU
SoutheasternKentucky/Ark.
Sun BeltGa. State/Ga. Southern
At large (36)
Big Ten (6): Wisconsin or Michigan State, Iowa, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Maryland
Big 12 (5): Kansas, Texas, West Virginia, Baylor, Oklahoma
ACC (5): North Carolina or Notre Dame, Duke, North Carolina State, Louisville, Virginia
Big East (4): Villanova or Xaxier, Butler, St. John's, Providence
Atlantic 10 (3): VCU or Dayton, Davidson, Richmond
American Athletic (3): SMU or UConn, Tulsa, Cincinnati
SEC (2): Kentucky or Arkansas, LSU
Mountain West (2): San Diego State, Colorado State
Pac-12 (2): Arizona or Oregon, Utah
Missouri Valley (1): Wichita State
Conference USA (1): Old Dominion
MAAC (1): Iona
Mountain West (1): Boise State
Ohio Valley (1): Murray State
The No. 1 seeds
Kentucky: No surprises here. After knocking off Auburn on Saturday, the Wildcats remain the only undefeated team in the country and will likely head to the NCAA tournament trying to do something that hasn't been done in nearly 40 years.
Virginia: The Cavaliers fell to North Carolina in the ACC semifinals on Friday night, but after a season of dominance, the regular-season champs for the second straight year and the owners of college basketball's No. 1 defense probably won't be budging from the top line.
Villanova: Some may disagree with the Wildcats' spot among the elite, but those who have been paying attention see good cause. While Villanova isn't "sexy," as coach Jay Wright says, the roster is built on experience and balance.
Wisconsin: If the Badgers win the Big Ten tournament — and there's every sign they will — Wisconsin should reach the pinnacle it's strived for all season after losing to Kentucky in the Final Four last year. Wisconsin had the highest of expectations coming into this season, but if anything, its surpassed them.
tournament dates
Sunday: Selection show (5 p.m., Ch. 4)
Tuesday-Wednesday: First Four games in Dayton, Ohio
Thursday-Sunday: Second- and third-round games
March 26-29: Regional semifinals and finals in Cleveland, Los Angeles, Houston and Syracuse, N.Y.
April 4, 6: Final Four in Indianapolis
about the writer
Basketball Across Minnesota: Aaliyah Crump, who committed to Texas, is spending her senior year at Montverde Academy in Florida on a team filled with Division I recruits.
